As an important type of nanoscopically-sized single macromolecule, brush copolymers have attracted significant attention due to their special properties and interest in the development of elegant synthetic methods for their preparation as discussed in Zhang, M.; Müller, A. H. E. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2005, 43, 3461-3481.
Hsieh, H. L.; Quirk, R. P., Anionic Polymerization: Principles and Practical Applications. Marcel Dekker: New York, 1996 discloses that brush copolymers can be obtained generally by a “grafting from” (graft growth from a polymer backbone), a “grafting through” (polymerization of macromonomers), or a “grafting onto” approach (polymeric coupling reactions using a polyfunctional coupling agent). Unique brush copolymer nanostructures comprised of diblock grafts that impart a core-shell morphology, have also been prepared by “grafting from” approaches via ATRP or NMP as disclosed in Börner, H. G.; Beers, K.; Matyjaszewski, K.; Sheiko, S. S.; Möller, M. Macromolecules 2001, 34, 4375-4383. and Zhang, M.; Breiner, T.; Mori, H.; Müller, A. H. E. Polymer 2003, 44, 1449-1458. Zhang, M.; Drechsler, M.; Müller, A. H. E. Chem. Mater. 2004, 16, 537-543 discloses a Single macromolecular templates in the preparation of core-shell nanomaterials.
The present invention relates to polymer-based nano-objects having well-defined compositions, structures and properties in particular nanoscale single molecules as spheres, cylinders, and other shapes having a core-shell morphology.
The present invention allows for a higher degree of control over the entire macromolecular architecture and, therefore, has focused upon brush polymers and their transformations into other types of nanomaterials.
Because the synthesis of brush polymers typically normally requires complicated and time-consuming procedures, the present invention discloses a facile synthetic methods for the preparation of brush polymers.